Embre

Hello! Before we start... Would you like some nice music? It's completely fine if you don't, I just don't like sitting in silence for too long myself, and maybe it'll help you relax a bit. c: Lo-Fi Heals ~ Lofi Hip Hop Mix late night vibes... cute songs to help you cope with anxiety & stress i promise it's going to be okay... (this one is a personal favorite of mine!) If Lofi isn't your cup of tea, maybe you'd like some rain ambience instead? three hours of rain rain, but with ocean waves

The following is a bunch of my thoughts about the world, edging towards advice, motivation, or reassurance. Below this I have a collection of images that have helped me in one way or another.

Please note that some or all of these may not be helpful to you. I mostly wrote these for myself. Everyone is unique and has different emotional and mental needs - I can't tell you what will help, or what you should do. While these are meant to be helpful or reassuring, please don't take any of what I say here as mental health/counselling advice. I am not trained in this field. If you are struggling, please seek help IRL.

If you have concerns about anything I say here, please let me know, and I'll try to fix/reword it!

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I hope you've been doing well, but it's okay if you aren't. Everyone goes through difficult and challenging times. Regardless of if others think that your problems aren't important enough to be considered, or if you think that your own problems aren't important, your difficulties are still difficulties. I know it's easier said than done, but please give yourself some space to recover. And it's not like you can immediately heal, it's important to give yourself time.
And that's not to say that experiences won't leave scars. But I don't think those scars are a sign of weakness, I think they're a sign that you're still trying. That's a feat all on it's own. Congrats on making it this far.

Maybe finding the energy to get out of bed in the morning is challenging, maybe finishing that assignment is challenging, maybe talking to somebody is challenging. It doesn't matter how those challenges compare, they are still challenges and it's an accomplishment all the same when you get past them. Maybe others don't see it, maybe you don't see it, but you're doing great. The fact you're still here and trying, that you're still doing what you can, is great.

Emotions are tricky things, and sometimes they're overwhelming. That's completely understandable, you don't need to have everything figured out all the time. Life is hard and can throw unexpected things at you out of seemingly nowhere. You don't need to feel pressured to know what the best decisions are right this very second. You have time, take all the time you need.

Going off of my last note, I highly suggest talking to somebody you trust about things if you can (a friend, a therapist, a councilor, a family member, anybody you feel like you can talk to, or create the connection needed to feel like you can talk to them safely). If you can't, writing in a diary or recording an audio log might help. Sometimes talking about your emotions to somebody who will listen can be a great help. Bottling up your emotions, especially long term, is never healthy (speaking from experience here...).

It's said a lot, but you aren't alone. Many people, myself included, don't open up about emotions unprompted, and act like everything is fine. Only my close family members know how stressed I've been about things, and how difficult life has been for me sometimes. A lot of people I talk to appear to be fine on the surface, but if they are willing to talk to me about their feelings will often tell me that they're going through a lot that they don't show. It might seem like your experiences are completely alien, and that nobody can relate, but I can guarantee you that's not true. You are not alone.

Be it romantic, platonic, family, or something else entirely - relationships are so hard... People are complicated, and more often than not you won't be able to fully understand them. People have different ways of showing they care, ways of acting, ways of responding, ways of hoping, ways of going forward in life, ways of coping. Shaky relationships are common, and while many won't ever completely work out or heal, that doesn't mean that they won't at all. However, you also have to know where to draw your boundaries - and you have to make that clear to the other person. I'm not great at understanding people, I'm not great at making friends, and I don't want to be in a romantic relationship, so all the advice I can give will likely contradict other advice - so I'm just going to give one overarching statement: sometimes things don't work out, and that's okay, but that doesn't mean that all hope is lost.

Please be kind to others, and to yourself. You never know how much it might help. But remember that you have your own worth - accepting everything and not standing up for yourself, even to avoid conflict, isn't kind. It certainly isn't kind to yourself.

You aren't wasting your time. Time you spent learning more about yourself, doing something you enjoy, helping others, finding positive ways of venting, recovering and healing, etc. is not wasted. Time is a precious thing, but if you spent all of it working or trying to reach other's expectations without ever taking time to breathe... that wouldn't be good in the long run.

You're so strong for pushing through it all, even if you seem to be in a dark place right now, you've still pushed through to get to where you are now. Mental challenges, no matter how small some of them seem, are so hard. I'm so incredibly proud of you.

To everyone who is questioning their identity in one way or another: you are who you are - even if you aren't sure who you are - and you are valid. Labels are tricky, and I understand if you want one as soon as possible or really don't want one any time soon - but there's no pressure, take it at your own pace. Understanding yourself and finding ways to describe yourself to others is no easy task. it's completely fine to change your mind later, you don't need to stick with one label if one you have right now doesn't fit anymore, or you found one that suits you better.

It's important to recognize grief and sadness, the "bad" or "negative" emotions, but also to realize that there is also good and hope in the world, and that not everything needs to be sad. The world only appears entirely dark if you don't look for the sunshine, but refusing to accept that the shadows exist will only make them grow.

I'm not really sure where I want to end this off. I can't possibly cover ever single emotion or difficulty, and I can't possibly understand them all. I'll probably write more as time goes on, in the hopes I'll be able to help somebody or at least make them smile.
I guess I'll just say this: everything will be okay. I know the phrase is overused, but it really will be. Maybe right now things seem like they'll only get darker, but there is light at the end - you just need to keep pushing through the storm, and eventually you'll reach it. Maybe that light won't be as bright as you hoped, maybe it will be so much farther away than you hoped, maybe it won't come in the way you thought it would, but it is still light - and above all, it is there.
You simply existing is enough.
Keep going, you can get through this. I believe in you. <3

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...Sincerely, A overthinking, anxious, burnt-out gifted kid, uncertain where they will go in life, but genuinely hoping for the best for themselves and those around them.

Some resources:
The Trevor Project - resource for LGBTQ youth

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Care for a cup of tea? They/Them Greeter Mentioned elsewhere by: Ruby, Mocha, Calahan (travelling) I'm an an emotional support dragon! If Tidewatcher doesn't do so before them, Embre will likely be the first to greet and introduce new dragons to the Lapis clan. Like Tidewatcher, they tend to be quite enthusiastic, however they hold a more calm and peaceful aura. While they haven't been seen angry or upset, there have been rumors going around that Embre will flick their tail back and forth in annoyance if Tidewatcher greets new dragons before they do; Embre has neither confirmed nor denied this. Regardless, Embre still gets along with Tidewatcher like they do everybody else (though, being a coatl, often has difficulty understanding the fae...). ~~~~~ Embre is a sort of resident encouragment dragon to the clan. Dragons will often come to Embre for somebody to talk to, and find that they are comfortable with telling Embre about the struggles and emotions they had been having lately. ~~~~~ Embre's passion, besides encouraging and supporting others, is tea. If Embre isn't talking to other dragons, they are probably experimenting with creating new kinds of tea, or practicing old favorites. They call it their art.

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Guide

Friendly, Helpful, Curious Treasures Jasmine Plant A quaint, pretty white flower with dainty petals. Jasmine is seen more often floating on the wind than growing from the ground. 50 5 Skipping Stone Minerals & Ores This stone was born to skip! You could probably get 5 skips out of it if you threw it just right. 30 Antique Lace Waist Frill Apparel A fresh rose pinned to a delicate lace netting. 1000

Hatchling Heritage Tvistjarna & Prettur Prettur met Tvistjarna one afternoon as she was tending to the general store for the clan. Prettur, planning to leave shortly after his arrival, was intending to steal a few items and be on his way. However, Tvistjarna’s overly helpful attitude kept him on his toes, as she followed him happily chirping out her ‘assistance’ over the various items available for purchase. By the end of the visit she had managed not only to obtain full payment, but also an afternoon tea! How had she done this?! Ever since Prettur has been engaged with Tvistjarna in one way or another, and typically is left unsure of how the arrangement had ended wherever she had led him! Offspring from this pair are fun loving and friendly, usually helpful to a fault. They may tend to tell stories that have no ending.

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• Obtained from Sornieth Shave Ice